Upon Alien Soils
by goldleaves
Summary: [AU] On Varda VII, Ensign Colin Creevey begins has to deal with the freezing cold, stubborn scientists and worst of all, the devastatingly pretty but completely furious Dr. Luna Lovegood - The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition [Round 3 - The Wigton Wanders - CHASER 1 RESERVE]


**A/N:** This is an entry for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, and I'm submitting this as the reserve for Chaser 1 of the Wigton Wanders; who has been ill this week and unable to reply to this round [Round 3]

Pairing: **Luna Lovegood/Colin Creevey**

Prompt(s):

**4.** "He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your  
words." - Elbert Hubbard  
**9.** "When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know  
your name is safe in their mouth." - Jess C. Scott  
**11.** Wonder

Word Count:** 2,981**

* * *

"So this is Varda VII" he said with a sigh, looking out at the exoplanet that they were settling into orbit above, "It looks pretty dull if you ask me" he said examining the near monochrome shade of grey that covered the planet.

"Yeah, that about sums it up" came a voice from near to him, and Colin turned his head slightly to note Captain Harry J. Potter stride across the observation deck to where he was standing. Seeing him, Colin stood abruptly, not caring that his data packet; including his orders dropped to the ground with a harsh clatter. Standing to attention he awaited the famous Captain to join him, and mused about his luck to be assigned to the _U.S.S. Godric Gryffindor_, and his luck to be serving under man who ended the crisis within the Empire and defeated the rebel leader Tom Riddle, who had worked for many years under the fear inspiring name _'Lord Voldemort'_ and had used those years to incite fear and terror within the Empire as he worked to take over the Empire itself but the people of the Empire had resisted, and so had the Fleet; under the leadership of Captain Potter, among with many others whose names had gone into legend.

Once the emerald eyed captain had reached his side and nodded to Colin that he could stand down from attention, done with a small smile on his face, "I didn't mean to interrupt your musing"

"Oh, it's fine sir, an honour really"

His smile turned slightly rueful and self-mocking "I'd bet" and gave a small chuckle that Colin, despite his years on the _Gryffindor_, and the years before the war, when he was a couple years below the Captain in the Academy; simply couldn't understand coming from the Captain, but shoved that thought from his head as the older man talked, "What you're doing here is important, you understand this right?"

"Er ... not really sir" he said abashed, and scratching his head, "What's so important about this place sir? It's just another planet isn't it?"

"Oh, it's not important at all, you're correct about that Ensign, it's just another ball of rock in the universe with somewhat acceptable levels of gravity and very little atmosphere at all" Captain Potter said, "But that doesn't mean that there isn't something important on the planet" He turned to look out the observation screen again, "Down there is one of the Empire's most advanced and important scientific facilities"

"I don't get why I'm so crucial sir" he said, before rushing to continue when he saw the Captain raise an eyebrow, "I've read the mission orders sir, I know what I have to do, but why?" He shrunk slightly under the steady emerald gaze that the Captain levelled at him and he wondered if he had perhaps gone too far and would be disciplined for his impertinence, but the older man didn't raise his voice or answer at all for a while, but when he did it was in a quiet and normal manner, as if he was just an ordinary man speaking about the weather.

"You are aware of the troubles on Earth at the moment?" He asked

"Yes sir, My mother keeps mentioning it in her messages; saying how there's been riots recently and the like"

"Riots, are the least of it" Captain Harry J. Potter of the _U.S.S. Godric Gryffindor_ said, his eyebrows drawn together as if he was thinking about something particularly worrisome, "There's been food shortages, poisoned water supplies and the like being reported throughout the entire Empire. As you can imagine the Empire has been trying to keep this quiet, nobody wants riots and rebellion"

"especially so soon after Riddle's War" he said, unable to stop himself and cutting off the Captain's sentence. He looked ruefully at the Captain, and mumbled an apology.

"Exactly" the older man continued, ignoring Colin's rudeness in a way that many other Captain's in the Empire would not have, and Colin was struck by just how lucky he was to be put on the _Gryffindor_ and not under the purview of Captain Malfoy of the _U.S.S. Salazar Slytherin_; if he had the blonde captain would have dishonourably discharged him only months into his service, "But of course the media has found out, as they always do"

Captain Potter trailed off for a moment, gazing out again at the grey planet, and Colin guessed that he was remembering the early years of his career when the Empire's media, having been inflamed by agents of Riddle had cornered him like piranha and had taken great pleasure in ripping him and his reputation and career apart. It hadn't been a particularly bright time in the Empire, and the Academy had been particularly oppressive he remembered with a wince.

Shaking off the bad memories, and not wanting to think about the Carrow twins and their dominance over the academy, he hesitated for a moment but eventually spoke up to push the Captain to speak further, "But what connection does this have with Varda VII?"

"Everything" The brunette said turning his distinct and piercing Emerald eyes on Colin "On Varda VII, and the Gryffin facility they are developing a natural antigen that will turn undrinkable water into something that can be drunk safely without any side effects, It's not finished yet but the results look very promising indeed; they're predicted to be able to turn over 10,000 litres of polluted and unsafe water into something that can be drunk and used within minutes"

Thinking about the sheer amounts of water that the Captain was talking about, Colin looked down at the grey planet with just a little more interest. "That could..." he was speechless at the potential possibilities that such a material could mean for the Empire.

"Yeah" the Captain said, smiling slightly at his speechless wonder, "And this is where you come in, your previous experience in photography and journalism is needed; we need to calm the media storm back on Earth and in many other places of the Empire, and the risk of riots and chaos breaking out is the only reason that this top secret science mission is being allowed to be revealed, though the Empire asks you to be as discreet as possible when reporting it, because of the fact it's still in development. You think you can handle that?"

"I think so, sir" he said, adding the honorific as a second thought

"Good, now you should get prepared; your shuttle to the surface is in a couple hours, and once your down there you're stuck down there for seventy three hours" Noting the slightly alarmed look that Colin was sending him, "It's the weather systems down there, apparently it's quite a regular thing" he said with a shrug, and with a small nod the Captain left Colin Creevey to his thoughts. Having finally collected his data packet from the ground, he browsed through the information in his mission orders with new eyes and a new perspective and wondering just how he was going to report this story.

A couple hours later, after a very shaking shuttle ride from the _Gryffindor_ to the surface of the planet that left him quite glad that he had slept through his first alarm, that had meant to wake him from his nap in time to get food, and so had left him rushing to collect his equipment and to ensure that he was adequately attired for the planet's surface that he had to forgo even a simple breakfast, he was met by the lead scientist of the Gryffin laboratories, Dr. Luna Lovegood, BSc, MSc, Phd and most importantly civilian. Something that she was most insistent on reminding him when he barely had a foot out of the shuttle.

Seemingly Dr. Lovegood, and numerous other scientists at the labs were not happy by the Imperial order to allow a Journalist; even one from within the Fleet's ranks, to poke around their premises for seventy three hours and broadcast their unfinished experiments to the entire Empire.

"Bread and Circuses" Dr. Lovegood said as she walked swiftly from the landing point into the shelter of Hanger Three "It's all Bread and Circuses; and they're making us the Circus!". Struggling to keep up with the Doctors long strides he attempted to reply, to try and reassure the furious Doctor, but couldn't figure out something to say that wasn't a lie, especially when he knew perfectly well that she was right. The research from Gryffin labs was being used as a way of distracting the Empire, and leading all the scientists into the position that if anything went wrong they'd be blamed for it, and publicly too.

Once inside the relative warmth of Hanger Three, and once the outer doors were closed shutting out the biting wind, he was able to finally think of something to say, shoving all of his equipment into one arm he held out his hand, "I'm Ensign Creevey, pleasure to meet you Ma'am" and near winced when the Doctor's grey eyes locked onto his and had an eerie similarity to the way that Captain Potter was able to look at a person and evaluate them.

"Do you have a name Ensign Creevey?" she asked, taking off the hood and hat to reveal her pale hair and surprisingly delicate features, "Or is Ensign your first name?"

"Err... no Ma'am" he blushed slightly at the sniggering that some of the workers around him didn't even try to muffle, "It's Colin Ma'am"

"Well then Colin" she said, her voice sickly sweet, "Let's get a few things evident before you begin poking our nose into our research and disturbing our very delicate experiments; First, none of us agreed to have you here, it was all the higher ups busybodies in the Empire, Second; Don't call me Ma'am; I work for a living, and finally Third: You mess up even one of our projects and I'll lock you in your room until you're picked up by the _Gryffindor_ and we'll see how you survive the cold inside a room you can barely pace" and with that ominous rant that had been performed in a completely level voice and by a straight face, Dr. Lovegood was gone and he was led to the room that would be his for a couple days.

Keeping to the instructions given to him, both by the imposing; though quite small Dr. Lovegood, and from his Mission orders he wandered the halls, one hand clutching his camera; especially modified to survive the extreme cold, the other rubbing some warmth into his arms, having taken photos of the experiments taking place and speaking to the more agreeable scientists about the research's development and progress.

With only a couple hours until his scheduled pick up, he was sitting in the admittedly quite small; but not hideously uncomfortable room writing up a first draft of the article he was ordered to write, referring to the photographs he had taken, as well as the scientists quotes, when he heard a faint alarm throughout the compound. Putting down his work, and shrugging on his heavy jacket; which he had learned to be wearing any time he wasn't in his room or the labs, even if he wanted the toilet in the middle of the night, he entered the corridor and headed towards the noise.

"What's going on?" he asked Padma Parvati; one of the more welcoming scientists, and whom he had learnt actually had a sister aboard the _Gryffindor_, an Ensign in Engineering whom he promised to send word to on her behalf.

"It's the weather system" she said with exasperation, "This whole damn planet's weather is messed up; problem with having such a thin atmosphere and all that, but it looks we're going to be snowed in for a while; even you" She patted his shoulder in sympathy, "Sorry"

"Nothing can get through?"

"Nothing, and if it lasts too long our power systems will start to drain, happens all the time when these storms hit and we get off from the generators"

"Well shit"

Over twenty hours into the storm, his room became far too cold; it has always been a bit chilly, not as warm as some of the other rooms further into the Hanger, but when he started seeing his breath turn to frost, he quickly packed up his equipment and fled down to corridor to beg a bunk in one of the bunk rooms, unfortunately there was none and he was left claiming a bit of floor space near the heaters but it was still warmer than his room had been.

When the overtime he had spent at the compound had reached the week mark, he cleared out all the unneeded photos on his camera; all the ones that had been deemed too imperfect, dug out an extra memory card and went to explore the labs again, hoping for some sort of distraction. It was through his wanderings over the next couple of days that he found the animal enclosures.

Large enclosures that were attached to the side of the Hangers, and with large lights that flooded the whole area in light it made the photographer in him near giggle in delight at the way the light was able to illuminate the falling snow perfectly. Hearing the heavy pad of some creature moving around the enclosure he looked around and noted for the first time the great white quadruped animals moving around in the snow; their thick fur keeping them warm. He saw many similarities to the Snow Tiger of Earth, but this creature was much larger, it's tail barbed and had four great big eyes on its head.

Looking at it in wonder and awe he couldn't help but drop into a crouch, his hands bringing up the camera to his eye level and focusing in on the magnificent creature who was looking back at him serenely with its large slanted eyes, framed by the illuminated falling snow. There was a near complete silence around them, the only sound being the easy breathing of the animal and the faint woosh of the wind. Silently he clicked the shutter and the little moment of pure perfection was preserved before the animal turned it's head and headed to its den.

Standing, he looked down at the camera, having pulled up the view option that allowed him to once again see that moment where he could swear that everything made sense.

"Amazing aren't they?" asked a soft voice from his side, and he flinched in surprise and turned to see Dr. Lovegood standing next to him, looking at the animal settling next to it's mate,

"Yeah, what are they?" he asked, having never seen such an animal before

"Nahtrotorms; the ancient Martians believed they were good luck, that if you saw one you would have a prosperous life"

"I though they were just a myth" he looked across the snow filled enclosure mystified

"They were, until we created them"

He turned to face her fully then, stupified and not believing what he was hearing, "You created them?"

"Yes, took us a while too"

"That... That's amazing"

"Thanks" the blonde replied and if it wasn't for the wind hitting their faces and turning their cheeks an impressive pink colour anyway, Colin would have said that she was blushing.

"S'alright, it's true none-the-less" he said, fighting the blush that was rising in his own cheeks from her look at him, coughing awkwardly and putting the lens cap back on his camera he asked, "So why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? I thought you hated me"

"I do hate you" she replied, though there wasn't any malice or hatred in her tone "I just figured you're not as much of an arrogant idiot who just wanted to barge in here and get a story without a care for our research, as I had originally thought"

"Oh believe me, I didn't want to come here at all, I was just following orders"

"Hmmm" was the only sound that she made and they remained in comfortable silence for a good while, neither one moving or caring about the cold and in sudden and clear understanding of the other.

It was early the next morning that the weather became clear enough for the shuttle to land and it did so immediately, hoping to be off the ground before the next severe weather front hit. Saying goodbye to his room-mates for the past week and promising to pass a message on to Parvati Patil he headed towards the shuttle, equipment all safely packed away and the article re-written several times over.

Waiting at the doors to the Shuttle was Dr. Lovegood,"Well, it wasn't that bad having you here after all" she said, with a laugh, "Though I can't say that we'd ever invite you back"

"If you did, I think I'd rather run in the opposite direction" He replied with a chuckle and was glad to see the Doctor smile."Goodbye Dr. Lovegood, I wish you the best with your research"

"Goodbye Colin" she returned, and that was all that was needed. Giving a wave to the small crowd of scientists by Hanger Three and flashing another smile at the Doctor, he boarded the shuttle and lost them from view. As he returned towards the _U.S.S. Godric Gryffindor_, and his home he couldn't help but remember the difference in the way Dr. Lovegood had said his name from the first time they had met to their parting, and remembering the photo of the Nahtrotorms that he had saved to one of his memory cards, he had a perfectly reasonable excuse to remain in contact with the extremely pretty, and devastatingly smart, Doctor on Varda VII.


End file.
